A carbon innovation hub built by Graham Construction has become the first refurbished building in the UK to achieve a BREEAM 'Outstanding' rating.

The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation (ECCI) achieved a score of 87.5%.

The facility was opened by the Princess Royal in October 2014 after 19 months of construction and a £10.5m investment.

The centre is hosted by the University of Edinburgh in partnership with Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh Napier.

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It brings together experts from business, Government and academia to find solutions to the problems associated with the transition to a low carbon future.

Work on the project involved Graham refurbishing and re-modelling the 17th Century Old High School building and connected modern buildings.

The building now comprises of an innovation suite, lecture theatres, seminar rooms and a large atrium space.

Neil McFarlane, Graham Construction regional director, said: "The construction of the building involved a careful integration of the old with the new – including cutting-edge features such as the introduction of double glazing to a listed building, PV's to the roof, an Air Source Heat Pump and connections to the nearby District Heating Network and CHP which overall allow a 40 per cent decrease in CO2 emissions and meet 57 per cent of the energy demand."

(LM/CD)